Jimmy Carter’s Olympic Boycott

The president tried to use the 1980 Summer Olympics to get Russia out of Afghanistan. It didn’t work.

The U.S. team boycotted the Moscow Summer Olympics in 1980 in response to the Russian occupation of Afghanistan. On the eve of the Pyeongchang Olympics, we bring you the story of how President Jimmy Carter made that decision.

Whistlestop is Slate’s podcast about presidential campaign history. Hosted by Political Gabfest panelist John Dickerson, each installment revisits a memorable moment from America’s quadrennial carnival.